Stories from a real life cowpuncher that will give you a smile and a glimpse of God.

I quit spanking my kids…I use a hot shot and you should too.

by Kevin on May 27, 2010

When I was a kid, if you talked back to the teacher they didn’t send you to ISS (in school suspension), they took you out in the hall and tried to dislocate your butt from your pelvis. Some of the coaches didn’t need but one or two swings to accomplish this task. On the other hand, I have seen some 90 pound teachers get the same accomplished with 8 or 9. Personally, the 8 or 9 seemed worse overall than the one or two from the coaches. It’s kind of like taking a band-aid off slowly….it hurts more. They would take your rear off real slow and it hurt real bad.

There is something happening in the world today that is very appalling. Kids today don’t seem to know the meaning of consequences. The result of this is a population that is aging and become leaders that don’t know what consequences are either.

The cowboy culture has been real good at keeping corporal punishment alive. I don’t know of anyone that has never heard of a person talking about their dad making them go pick a switch off a tree that they were to be spanked with. Do you get the little narrow stick that will sting when they hit you with it forty-eight times? Or do you get the big one that you hope they can’t swing but once or twice? These are the decisions that kids used to make.

Now they laugh at being grounded from going out with their friends while they play their xbox. Or they get grounded from the xbox and go watch TV. Maybe they get grounded from everything, but they know within a day or two, their parents will get tired of constantly monitoring them and let them off the hook.

Some people say that spanking does no good. You might have a teenage son that is bigger than you are. You would have to run them over with the mini-van in order to get their attention. That’s why I think we should all start using hot-shots.

A hot-shot will not leave a mark and the pain goes away after just a few seconds. But those few seconds will sure get your attention. I know grown men that will scream and run from someone that is fixing to hit them with a zap from a hot-shot. If a grown man will avoid it at all costs, it can sure get a kid’s attention, no matter how big they are.

If a hot-shot can get a 2,000 pound bull loaded in a trailer, think how well it would work on a smart-mouthed teenager. After hitting them with it about 1-3 times, they would think twice about sassing their mother or better yet, someone else’s mother.

Do you have a problem getting kids up in the morning? Go in and tell them once. If they don’t get up, walk in there and hit ’em real quick with a hot-shot and I guarantee you they will get up.

I propose giving every teacher in every school a hot-shot. They would be given strict orders to zap every single rear end they saw hanging out of a pair of pants. We’ll give the little fat kid a break, he can’t really help it. After about a week of that, pants would be pulled up. If they go to mouthing about it, hit ’em again. That battery will last a lot longer than their mouth will.

Society frowns on kids even fighting these days. When I was growing up, if you started mouthing at someone, you better be able to back it up. No one brought guns to school. There was a release for all that anger. If you got mad, you went down the road and beat the snot out of each other. If you won, you got a feather in your hat. If you lost, you thought twice before mouthing off again.

All of this psycho babble about outlawing corporal punishment is just stupid. I do not condone child abuse by any means and if I see it, I’ll abuse you. But you want to talk about abuse? How about the fact that there is very little personal accountability and no responsibility any more.

The rule of thumb these days is:

I can say whatever I want and you can’t do anything about it.

I can do anything I want and blame it on someone or something else.

You want to know why cowboys are known for their manners and their hospitality? It was because behind everyone of those cowboys was a cowboy dad and a cowgirl mom. These parents wouldn’t even warn their kids. If you messed up, you paid the price.

Let’s give every cowboy and cowgirl in this great nation a hot shot. Let ’em get this country straightened out. Let’s start with the government. It don’t matter if their republican or democrat or whatever. You do something stupid, we’re gonna hit you with 1,000 volts. We’ll work our way down and if the kids still don’t understand, we’ll zap them too.

Go ahead, give me your opinion on corporal punishment.

Disclaimer: Ihave never used a hotshot on a child and would never do so. I also do not condone the action. This article was satiracle in nature and it’s intent was to show how corporal punishment isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

hmmm, hot-shot, yeah – where can I get one?
lol
Spare the Cattle-Prod, spoil the child?
Noooo
In my opinion, corporal punishment has it’s place when not driven by emotion.
Some people say no to it yet substitute it with screaming and shouting
what is worse?
Obviously the best way is to have a relationship with your child that contains respect and consideration,
but that is hard because children test boundaries like it is air they breath and they want to find them close and secure otherwise they will keep looking for them in places that are self destructive

Kevin

Great, Great Point! I haven’t had to bust my kids in about two years. I always thought it was bull when my Dad would say it hurts him worse than it did me. But I find that to be extremely accurate. If busting your kid makes you feel better, you better stop and re-evaluate your motives.

LOL! I can think of plenty of kids who could learn a lot from that. At the same time, my parents never spanked or hit me growing up, I grew up outside the church, and when I got into a deep mess of self interest and disrespect, I found out there were consequences to my actions. There were plenty of friends who wouldn’t hang out with me any more, and I didn’t like any of my new “friends.” As much as anything I think it’s a question of cultural values. If the larger culture sees tough, disrespectful people in glorified roles (think the DIE HARD series or LETHAL WEAPON) then they will assume that those attitudes are the best way to become glorified and respected. Working in the city has taught me that some kids expect to be punished and bear the scars of it like a decorated soldier because it proves their toughness or independence or whatever. Corporal punishment works only when the deep rooted values are violated. I’m not 100% convinced it can work if those values aren’t already in place.

That is the hard part: showing/demonstrating consequences to actions. Sometime parents get caught in the trap that consequence needs to happen now through a spanking. When sometimes the best value in a lesson is when it is self learned. Although is it sometimes better to learn from someone that thru consequences.

Kevin

The decorated soldier part of your comment really got me to thinking. I can see where that might come into play.

I really don’t think that corporal punishment is the answer to everything, despite what my post portrays. The thing that works best on my son is to ask him if he understands what he did was wrong. If he says, “Yes sir” then I just tell him I am real disappointed in the way he acted and shake my head and walk away. It breaks his heart and I have to fight the urge to run buy him a new horse to make him feel better.

There does need to be a balanced approach between corporal punishment and…other. I’m sure I’ll find out more about it than my puny brain can handle once I have kids of my own, but i still think it all comes down to the same thing and that’s making sure that the foundation of core values is in place otherwise the correction won’t go anywhere and will seem unjustified. And if I’m any indication, then nothing is worse than a kid who thinks (s)he’s been wronged.

You did a really good job talking about this, I agree with you. I work with children sometimes and it’s considered abuse if you hit or spank them in anyway, closet thing you can do might be time out. I get your point and completely agree about all of what you said and that this type of punishment should be allowed again and that kids would get the point and know their limits.

I know what a switch is, sticks, paddle, …but what is a hot shot? Is this some sort of gun?

They come in different lenths, but it’s basically a stun gun on a stick. It gives quite a shock, but there is no force behind it. I would love for someone to come to the ranch and volunteer to be videoed getting zapped with one. It’s real funny to everyone else, not funny at all to the volunteer.

I wholeheartedly believe that a child has been slighted in his/her upbringing if they have never had a spankin’. I’m just sayin’… I know that makes me a neanderthal.

I also believe that taking the paddle out of school was almost as damaging as taking prayer out of school.

I don’t think spanking is the punishment that should fit every act of disobedience but I believe that it gets a child’s attention for those things that matter most. Although I don’t think a hot shot is a good thing to have around the house. My son would be chasing the dogs and cat with it.

Kevin

But Larry, that would be fun to watch. I highly suggest getting one and then seeing what happens when he zaps his momma the first time.

Missy Mulkey

I have to admit I did spank my son. I did it exactly 4 times in his entire life. He learned quick that you don’t mess around with momma when she says no. My favorite story though was when he was 5 and wanted a puppy. I borrowed one from a friend for a test drive. He had to take care of it that was the rule period. The first day was great but the first night when I told him he had to take the puppy out before bed the fight was on. I won without laying a hand on him. I pulled out a copy of his children’s bible and sat down and explained that he shouldn’t disobey his mother or father or his elders (unless what they were asking of him was wrong) and that caring for what was given to you was a responsibility. He cried like I had beat him to death but the message stuck. The next day the puppy went back and he didn’t ask for another animal until he was 8.

I believe in corporal punishment in schools but that was never what worried my son. He knew if he got in trouble at school it was gonna be worse at home. Raising children is a full time job and it is a parents responsibility to care for what was given to you.

Kevin, the $15 bucks I spent on the 31 DBBB was worth every dime just to connect with your blog! On what has been a difficult and draining week, this entry made me laugh and think and energized me all at the same time. I am blessed every time I read your posts. Thanks so much for exposing a Southern city boy to the country way of “thangs.”

Reading all of your comments makes me laugh. Chasing mom with a stun gun on a stick, chasing the animals with one, volunteering to get zapped yourself. Wow. I’ve learned a lot about country life from this post and you guys are great and fun.

Kevin

This has been a great day today. I wish all posts were this fun. Thanks for coming by and hanging out with the guys Becky. Oh, and don’t forget about Carol…she’s gonna suggest stun gun fun to her superintendent.

Carol Riley Cain

I teach in a little, country high school in South Texas, and we still have corporal punishment. I don’t get to swing the board, but the principal does. The student and/or his parent get to choose 1-3 swats or 1-3 days in ISS. In some cases it works, but in most, they laugh about it. (“He swings like a girl!” they’ll tell their friends, but I notice that they don’t repeat the behavior for a long time, either! ) I think I LIKE this cattle prod thing, especially for the saggers….hmmm…maybe I should forward your article to my superintendent…

Kevin

Thanks for droppin’ by Carol. I love to hear from my friends in South Texas. I used to work on a ranch in South Texas. Besides the Pecos River country, it don’t get any better than South Texas.

Love it! And the comments! I don’t consider it “punishment” as much as I do, discipline. Punishment would be taking away the ipod, the texting, and making them get up at the crack of dawn when they don’t have to!! I know I have only had to “discipline” my daughter about three times – the last time was about 7 years ago -until two Saturdays ago. She is 5’9″, 15, and every bit as strong as any cowboy I know. She got sassy, in my face, and with enough attitude to make Clint Eastwood blush. I told her to turn around for a minute so I could check something, and I spanked her just as hard as I could. Boy was it a shocker to us both! To her, she could not believe that her Momma would spank her after all these years. And Momma couldn’t believe how much it truly did hurt me more than it hurt her. That little spanking did more than a 100 “let’s sit down and be adults and let me explain to you respect and how to talk to your Momma” talks. She knows respect. She grew up in a small town with nothing but “old folks”. She knows how a child is to speak to their parent, how a man is to treat a woman, and now she knows, Momma ain’t kiddin’ when she says, “don’t sass me or you’ll get a handful”. She did attest to the fact she would much rather have her mouth washed out with soap (which we’ve been down that road too..quickest way to get your kid to quit spittin’ at ya!).

We live in a small, rural area in north Texas. Corporal discipline is still used. And demerits. They have an entire demerit system for academic infractions and social infractions. The male teacher swats the male students, the female teacher swats the girl students. I signed the waiver that they had to call me before they gave my child swats, but it was allowed for them to do so. Anything that goes on at school needs to be taken care of immediately. You should have heard the protest from my kid…”I can’t believe you would allow them to paddle me. MOOOOOM!!!” My philosophy, keep your hands to yourself, your mouth shut, be respectful and you won’t have to worry about no stinkin’ swats! We will be going on our 4th year in this school district and lo and behold, she hasn’t had one visit to the office yet. IMAGINE THAT!

And Kevin, you come near me with a hot shot and you best remember I know how to freeze brand!

I never received much corporal punishment like being spanked, hot shots, … and I’m glad. But I do think that this type of punishment or discipline should be brought back into the schools and homes. Not for abuse but for punishment, to teach a lesson. I’m in agreement with ya’ll.

Kevin,
What a kick! I had a blast reading this post. Your dry sense of humor cracks me up (I just dated myself). I shared this post with my husband, and he said, “No kidding! Start with the government first, yep.” Our youngest son in the household (21) made some comment when I repeated your phrase that parents should not feel good after spanking their kids. We thought he was asleep in his room!

Both of our sons have had their share of spankings, time-outs, and revoked privileges. There’s a time place, and age for each one. And yes, they were based on values they had already been taught. Our oldest son, surprisingly, thinks psychologists these days are crazy when they say children should not be spanked. His remarks surprise me because he certainly got spanked. Interesting what they learn is valuable.

Anyway, it was fun reading your posts. These are the kind I like best.

That is great Scott! Time to get it across the rest of the states now too.

john apostolopoulos

I can say whatever I want and you can’t do anything about it.
I can do anything I want and blame it on someone or something else.

This is sad and cruel at the same time. But that is also called free will that we need to accept. We may not like people’s behaviour and choices but they have the right to decide for themselves, what they are going to do.

Spanking is also cruel….but i am not going to fight it, even though i really hate it. And you know why?
Simply because i do not believe in punishing the wrongdoings and spanking is a wrongdoing. But i do believe in praising goodness….

We need to throw love at hatred and forgiveness at wrongdoings. We are not holly enough to judge people and we are not innocent enough to blame our kids for their bad behaviours. I believe in freedom and kids need to learn that too. For a life without us being able to choose what we like instead of what others want us to like, is no life at all.

Free will got men out of heaven….Free will however may actually get us back to heaven as well. All we need to do is accept God’s grace and forgive what we don’t like. For Jesus said it clearly…Forgive and thou shall be forgive. We need to forgive without punishment. Life has a good way of teaching us about consequences since that was mentioned in this blog. We don’t need to spank our children for it.

You however have the right to do whatever you want with your kids. You have the right to spank them. and they have the right to press charges on you if they want…and that is another important part of justice. I believe it is called an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

Have a great night

Kevin

John, I just want to say thanks for the way you handled that. There is no doubt that you disagree with me, but you handled it very civilized and for that I thank you.

I’ll just say a couple of things about free will:

1. My children have free will, but they will do what I tell them to when I tell them to do it.
2. If my child catches the barn on fire he will face the consequences for his actions. Blaming it on the matches isn’t going to work on this ranch.
3. I don’t know of any judge in West Texas that will convict a mother or father for spankin’ their kid in the grocery store when he intentionally knocks over the display of pinto beans.
4. I am going to train my children up in the ways of the Lord so that when they grow up they will not depart from that. This training includes spanking if necessary, love all the time, and letting them know that there is nothing they can do that will ever make me stop loving them.
5. Free will is not going to get us back to heaven, but surrendering your will and your life to Christ most certainly will.

Thanks again for dropping by John and you’re welcome at the campfire anytime.

Chris

We do have the will to make choices to do good or evil, and the Biblical model shows that when God’s children started choosing evil, He brought all kinds of calamity on them, things like starvation, plagues, enslavement…. Look at the horrific things that God said would happen to David and his children because of what David did with Bathsheeba. Spanking is pretty minor compared to these things.

The Bible also tells us that “God disciplines those that He loves.” This implies that there are more than just natural consequences going on here. Jesus used a whip to drive the vendors out of the temple….

Spanking CAN be wrong, but it isn’t always. It can be done cruelly, or it can be done lovingly.

Kevin

I can honestly say that it hurts me worse than it hurts them…maybe not right then, but later it really does. But I do it anyway…if I have to.

Tammie Schmidt

Amen!! I was born to a redneck cowboy and cowgirl family. I got spanked only when I did something wrong (which was at least daily.) I turned out to be a well mannered respectful woman. I raised my own two girls by the paddle. They turned out well. As a teacher I wish more families were based in the cowboy/cowgirl way! Send me a load of those hot shots.

Kevin

You know, that’s the way it goes. I can only think of one, only one, actual kid that was raised like we were that turned out to be sorry. I know a lot of others that were given free rein to do whatever they wanted….and we know how that turns out most of the time. Thanks for dropping in Tammie. Hot shots have been ordered.

peggy

My grandson has stepmother who lightly popped him, he says “If you keep beating me I;ll call and tell someone.:”
I can recall times I spanked mine, but they sure didn’t talk back anyway. One put his hand in my face like they used to do, “Talk to the hand'” No spanking done. Just a look and “IF YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN” I don’t recall what threat was but it worked.
One time they went to pond near house with couple of friends, youngest was 5….I was hot….told friends, “Go home”….I don’t like spanking much but that belt they will remember the rest of their lives. Not mad spanking, but letting them know I meant business!

Kevin

You are right Peggy. We should never deliver any type of physical punishment when we are mad. But I do think that given the right circumstances and used correctly, corporal punishment is a viable way to teach consequence.

RJ Symith

Have 3 Dudes and lick there butt cheeks with my belt. Readin about this Hot-shot makes me feel that it may be a far better deturent! Plan to look up and see were I can buy one! And, yes, CP is alive and well in Texas!

RJ Symith

Just went on line and sent 4 one of them! Will be usin it instead of my belt. Sure will let Y=all know how effective it is!

Kevin

I sure do hope you have some cattle that need it. Please refer to the disclaimer at the bottom of the article. Thanks for dropping in RJ. You might work on your wording a little bit in your previous comment. On second thought, don’t…I thought it was kind of funny even though I knew what you were talking about.

LOL! love it!! im a single mama and my kid has a good head on his shoulders. i dont think my son would have been like this if i had not used the rod of correction on his butt when he does wrong.

DISCIPLINE IS GOOD. people need to repeat that to themselves. even God says He loves us so He disciplines us. i use the Word of God to discipline and encourage my son’s heart. i use the rod of correction to discipline his attitude. i use the hands God gave me to remind him that he is loved always.

Kevin

Your are SOOO right!! I have to remind my kids (and myself a lot of times) that I’m not here to be their friend first and a parent second. God has entrusted me to teach them what’s important and how to survive. If that means spanking them, I will–as a last resort.

Chris

I remember not so long ago, there was a news story that showed security camera video footage of a mom beating her toddler in the back of her SUV, and it sickened me every time I saw the video. This is what too many people think of when they hear the word “spanking.” There’s a world of difference between spanking and abuse.

I was one of those kids who had to go get a switch off of the bush every now and then, and I deserved it every time, and I’m a better man for it. My dad was a loving and non-abusive man who wanted me to grow up to be a good man, and so, when necessary, I had to be disciplined.

On the other hand, my wife’s sister, who is a teacher, told us a story about what “discipline” means in schools. She was walking her class back in from recess, and two girls were misbehaving, and one boy was being a terror. When they got back to the classroom, she made the three of them stay out in the hall. As she was addressing the two girls first, the boy starts slamming himself against the wall, so she calmly took him by the shoulders, moved him away from the wall, and resumed talking to the girls. The boy then started doing this angry hyperventilating thing, and at that moment, the principle walked by.

She stopped to talk to my sister in law about what was going on, who told the principle “Billy tried to hit me” in that voice that you use when discussing a kid’s behavior with another adult in the kid’s presence. The principle gave my sister in law a disappointed look, said “I’ll handle this,” and took the kid to her office. Five minutes later, the kid returned to the classroom smiling and wearing a shiny sticker that said “I’m special.”

I fear for the future of our country.

Kevin

That’s the same philosophy as unsaddling your horse every time it bucks. You’re not teaching him how to do anything except buck. I share your fear.

Heidi

I was never spanked when growing up. My parents did not believe in it. I look back now and think that i was a real hand full and should have been . I do believe in spanking and use it on my own kids even though it was never used on me. I see other peoples kids that do not believe in it that are awful. My kids teachers tell me how well behaved they are. I have never had trouble with them in school and have been very proud of them, but they know if they do something that warrants a spanking, they will get one.